Tommy Biffle's Pattern, Batis and Gear
He caught a 6 1/2-pounder and lost another good one on the jig on day 2. He finally pulled out the bug late in the day and boxed a 5 1/2 and a 4 and enticed several others 3. It was his primary offering the rest of the way and the 43 pounds he caught over the weekend was tops among the field. He stayed in the mid-lake region, fishing creeks from about three-fourths of the way in back out to the mouth. "Grand's got a lot of covers and pockets with no-wake zones for a long way and that keeps some people out of there. Those worked for me for a day of two, then I started fishing the shorter ones where I could run in and out." He focused on steeper banks for the first 2 days, catching fish at depths from 4 to 7 feet. He keyed on flatter stuff on the final 2, much of it on secondary points leading to the backs of the pockets.
Gear:
Hardhead gear: 7'6" heavy-action Quantum Smoke flipping stick, Quantum Smoke casting reel (7.3:1 ratio), 20-pound Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon line, 7/16-ounce Gene Larew Biffle Hardhead jig, Larew Biffle Bug (Sooner run).
Tube gear: 6'10" medium-heavy Quantum rod, same reel and line, 1/8-ounce Elite Tungsten weight, 4/0 Eagle Claw hook with wire keeper, 4 1/2" Larew Fat Tail Tube (watermelon green with tentacles dyed chartreuse).
Jig gear: Same rod, reel and line as tube, 3/8-ounce River2Sea Tommy Biffle Junkyard Jig (green-pumpkin/orange/black scale), unnamed chunk trailer (green-pumpkin/purple).
Main factor: "Staying on those flatter pockets the last 2 days."
Performance edge: "The Junkyard Jig, the Bug and the Hardhead."
Bassmaster Tour Grand Lake Patterns 2-5 BassFan 5/3/18 (John Johnson)
